La Mer Appelle
by Mrs.CaptainJack
Summary: Two years after AWE. Lizzie has picked up where she'd left off, back into piracy. One day, she comes in contact with another ship. Will it be war or just love? All's fair. SPARRABETH. R&R, please.
1. Chapter 1

_**News:**__** So this is my new Sparrabeth fan fiction. It's a lot more Sparrabethy, which is why I like it a lot more than my last one. I hope you guys like it too.**_

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**Disclaimer:**__If I owned Jack and Lizzie, I would have put them together in AWE.

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**La Mer Appelle, Chapter 1: _Far Away for Far Too Long_**

_Thump. Thump. Thump._ William Turner's heart beat inside the _Dead Man's Chest_. A nice, steady pace, as usual. Although, Elizabeth couldn't imagine that anything at _World's End_ could possibly cause Will's heartbeat to quicken. Ferrying souls day after day by order of the sea goddess, Calypso, wouldn't quite cause much excitement or fear in one's being. And so, the heart beat nicely and steadily. Day after day. Week after week. Month after month. Year after year.

The heart had been confined inside the _Chest_ for two years now. Two years out of an eternity, only to be reunited with its owner once every ten years. It did not wait alone, however. It waited with its caretaker, Captain Elizabeth Swann, also known as the Pirate King of the Brethren Court. She had been pillaging, plundering, rifling and looting ever since Will, her husband, had left.

Another day, another treasure to be taken from a merchant ship unfortunate enough to cross the _Empress_. When Elizabeth had returned to assume her rightful place as captain, she had made the ship her own. The cabin containing the bed she now lay in was exactly how she wanted it. And, on the _Empress_, she _said_ what she wanted and _did_ what she wanted. Nevertheless, every now and again, things didn't _go_ the way she wanted.

For example, lately her "business" was not going well. Her first mate, Pai Huang, had informed her that their territory was being invaded by a fellow pirate ship who was, at the moment, anonymous. All they knew was that someone was getting to ships before she and her men could, causing a setback in their acquiring of goods. Just yesterday, they'd discovered yet another ship burning with no passengers and no loot. This did not make Elizabeth happy.

The pirate captain and King rolled out of bed... and onto the floor. "Damn," she cursed under her breath. She'd noticed that she had been recently voicing her new habit. Swearing was not something she usually did, but after years at sea with a couple dozen male sailors, some habits were bound to emerge. Bad ones too. She was thankful that she hadn't taken up scratching herself in inappropriate places or making dirty jokes whilst eating the morning meal. Swearing and drinking had become unavoidably contagious.

The over-sized dress shirt she was wearing to substitute a nightgown hung loosely off of her shoulders, exposing her cleavage and the necklace she never took off, for it hung the key to the _Dead Man's Chest_ on its chain. Elizabeth grabbed her robe off of her favorite chair when someone came bursting into her cabin, exclaiming, "Captain, we've found them!" Quickly, she threw on the robe and tied it around her waist. "Pai Huang," she scolded, "what have I told you about barging in here when I don't have any pants on?!"  
"With all due respect, Captain, I have no way of knowing if you have pants on, this late in the morning."  
"Well, if you'd just wait for me to come outside on deck, we wouldn't have to worry about that, would we?"  
"Apologies." The Asian pirate bowed.  
"You're forgiven, once again. Now, _who_ have we found, exactly?"  
"The ship that has been taking advantage of all the merchant ships whose belongings are rightfully ours."  
She beamed. "You mean we've caught the bastards?"  
"Aye, Madam."

Elizabeth fetched her pants off of the floor and pulled them up her legs. She got her favorite jade-encrusted belt off of her desk and strapped it around her waist. Beginning to remove her robe, she motioned for Pai Huang to turn around. He obeyed, plastering his hands over his eyes. Elizabeth flung a green blouse she had plundered from a wealthy traveler's ship over her head. She tied her hair up in a ponytail, topping everything off with her favorite hat.

Sword at her side, Elizabeth commanded, "Run up the white flag." "What for, Captain? Why not just blow the black-sailed ship to pieces?" Pai Huang questioned.  
"Let's see if we can save our cannons for a rainy day. Perhaps the captain has a logical explanation as to why he's been interfering with our affairs."  
"I see, Captain Swann. I will make sure the deed is done immediately." He began to exit when Elizabeth waved him out.  
"Wait," she started, causing him to cease, "did you say 'black sails'?"

The _Black Pearl_'s black sails whipped with the wind, moving the ship beautifully across the sea. The crystal clear water and smooth blue sky both made for a pleasant morning. Captain Jack Sparrow breathed in the salty air, then let it all out in a long sigh. This was going to be a good day. He could feel it. The sea was calm, there wasn't a cloud in the sky, the rum bottles were filled to the brim, there was an enemy ship on the horizon...

_'Oh, bugger,'_ Jack swore silently. "Master Gibbs!" he called to his first mate, "Come here at once!" The old sea dog obeyed, hurrying to his captain. "Yes, Cap'n?" Gibbs inquired.  
"What is that?" Jack asked, pointing to the enemy ship.  
"Er... that be a ship, sir."  
"And why wasn't I informed of a possible attacking ship in our midst?"  
"I'll go and find out, sir."

Gibbs yelled up the the lookout who was supposed to be on duty, "Marty!" No response. "Marty!" he tried again. Marty made no response. Gibbs climbed up the ropes of the _Pearl_ to find the small man sleeping on a crosstree. He reached out and shook Marty awake. "Five more minutes," the midget groaned. Gibbs explained, "Yer in trouble with the cap'n, Marty."  
"I did nothing wrong. I was up all night watching star after star, wave after wave. Now I want some sleep and I don't even get _that_?"  
"You shoulda stayed awake a little longer, my friend."  
"What do you mean?" Marty rubbed his sleepy eyes.  
"There's an enemy ship ahead."  
"What?!"

The lookout slipped off of the crosstree and fell many feet down, hitting the hard deck with a thud. His captain walked by, standing over him. Marty looked up at him with a mild, but still very present fear. "Ahoy, Captain," he greeted meekly. "Hello, Marty," Jack said unenthusiastically, "sleep well?"  
"Not particularly, sir."  
"Well, if this ever happens again, you'll be getting lots of sleep... in the brig."  
"Aye, Captain."

Jack stood up along with Marty, who scurried away. The captain pulled his spyglass to examine the incoming ship. At first, it was a blur, but when his eyes focused, it revealed a unexpected truth. "Master Gibbs!" he shouted to his first mate, "I need you again!" Too slow for Jack's liking, Gibbs arrived, wondering, "What is it now, Cap'n?"  
"What ship does that look like to you?" He handed his first mate the spyglass.  
"Why, it's the... "  
"The _what_?"  
"The... " His voice trailed.  
"Bloody hell, Joshamee, what ship is it?"  
"It's the _Empress_, Jack."

The _Empress_. _'Lizzie's ship,'_ Jack remembered. How long had it been? Too long. At least two years. What was she doing here? What had she been up to? Was she still as beautiful as he remembered? So, she'd gone back to being a pirate. Unless she'd given the _Empress_ to someone else. "Cap'n," Gibbs pointed out, "they've put out the white flag." "What?" Jack asked rhetorically in astonishment.  
"Why would Miss Elizabeth do that?"  
"We don't know if it's Lizzie."

Jack pried the spyglass from Gibbs's fingers and put it back in his coat. "Gents," he ordered his crew, "run out the white flag, but ready the cannons, just in case! We're gonna have some visitors. One of them just might be Missus Elizabeth Turner." Pintel and Ragetti, two crewmen, came running up to their captain, asking, "The poppet?!" Cotton's parrot squawked, "Pirate King!" Jack admitted, "We don't know for sure."  
"Aw," they groaned in disappointment.  
"Prepare for the arrival of... somebody!"

"How do I look?" Elizabeth asked Pai Huang about the sixth outfit she'd tried on. He sighed and replied, "Just as beautiful as when you did the _first_ time you tried that on." She turned back to the mirror. _'I tried this on already?'_ she wondered. "Captain Swann," her first mate reminded her, "we best be getting a move on."  
"I know, but I have to look good."  
"'Cause you might be seeing Captain Jack Sparrow again," he stated bluntly.  
"Don't be bold, Pai Huang. It's just Jack."  
"Sure it is... " he said with fake enthusiasm.  
"How would you like to have your tongue cut out?"

That got him to be silent. He shut his mouth and left the cabin. Elizabeth looked back at the mirror, still unsatisfied, and put on her tricorn hat that very much resembled Jack's. _'I didn't do it on purpose,'_ she told herself again, _'... entirely.'_ Hand on the hilt of her sword, she walked out onto the deck of her ship. The _Black Pearl_ was right beside it. So close, she could reach out and touch it if she leaned over the _Empress_'s railing.

Out of nowhere, someone on the other ship shouted, "Poppet!" Elizabeth faced the _Pearl_ to find Pintel and Ragetti there, waving at her with big grins on their faces. She waved back at them with less excitement than they were offering her. She just wanted to see Jack. "Captain," Pai Huang said from behind her. She turned and retrieved the grappling hook from his hands. "Do you need company, Captain Swann?" he asked. She assured him, "I'll be fine."

Elizabeth chucked the grappling hook into the air. It caught on the railing of the _Pearl_ and she swung over to the ship. Pulling herself up to the wonderfully familiar deck, she smiled slightly to herself. When her boots hit the floor, she felt a strange feeling overcome her. What is was, she did not know. Happiness, maybe. Contentment. Suddenly, she felt someone hugging her legs. She looked down to find Marty squeezing her thighs. She reached down and tapped his bald head.

"Have some dignity, would you, Marty?!" There it was. The voice she'd only heard in her head for the last two years. This time it was really him. Elizabeth turned with a smile and saw him. There was the smug grin that captured her heart every time it showed on the roguishly handsome face that she only dreamed she could claim as her possession.

Marty's grasp weakened and he finally dropped his arms. His cheeks blushed slightly, the red moving up all the way to his bare scalp. Jack opened his mouth to speak once again, but he was interrupted by Gibbs, who exclaimed, "Miss Elizabeth!" He approached her and shook her hand heartily. Jack pursed his lips in disappointment. Elizabeth threw him a sympathetic gaze.

The captain of the _Black Pearl_ pushed between his first mate and his guest, separating their arms. He faced Gibbs and declared, "My turn wiv her!" His first mate backed off. Jack turned to the Pirate King, teasing, "And I mean that in every wrong way you was thinking just now." Elizabeth felt herself blushing redder than Marty. Jack held out an arm and motioned to his cabin, suggesting, "Shall we?"

When they were finally inside, Elizabeth realized that she hadn't spoken since she'd stepped onto the _Pearl_. She knew it was probably because she was so incredibly happy that it had made her speechless. Jack closed the door and Elizabeth could have sworn she heard him lock it too.

"Take a seat, love," he told her. She obeyed, grabbing a stool in a corner of the room. When she turned back in Jack's direction, Elizabeth was surprised when he was so close to her face. She dropped the stool clumsily and stared into his dark eyes. "How've you been, Lizzie?" he asked her. _'He called me "Lizzie"!'_ Oh, how she'd longed for him to call her that for and lifetime.

Elizabeth felt dreadfully stupid when she realized her mouth was hanging open. Jack's face was but inches from hers. She hadn't been this near him since... since the day she'd kissed him and killed him. Remembering this, she closed her mouth and backed away, only for him to step forward once more, putting her only one move closer to the edge of her breaking point.

"I-I've been great," at last, she replied to the question he'd asked so many moments ago, "I, uh, I've been really great, actually-"  
"Is that so?" his bittersweet breath caressed her face.  
"Y-yes. Everything's great-"  
"That's nice." And then he did it. He slanted his mouth onto hers, kissing her deeply. Elizabeth didn't know how to respond, but, suddenly, she found herself kissing him back. She put a hand to his neck and smoothed her thumb over his rough skin. She found her heart starting to accelerate. _'Heart. My heart. Will's heart. Will!'_

Hesitating at first, Elizabeth pulled her mouth off of Jack's and caught her breath. He did the same, breathing heavily. He managed, "Nice to see you again as well, love." He smirked at her. That smirk that angered her and made her swoon all at the same time. "What ever happened to," she asked, "'once was quite enough'?"  
"What ever happened to 'It would never have worked out between us'?"  
"A kiss is just a kiss. It doesn't mean that we'd work out, Jack."  
"It _that's_ not the reason, why'd you kiss me?"  
"I should be asking you the same question."  
"And, if you did, I'd answer by saying, 'It was a welcome present'."  
"Are you insinuating that kissing you is a _privilege_?"  
"You said it, not me."

It was then that Elizabeth realized that she still hadn't taken her hand off of Jack's neck, which was unusually warm. She slid her fingers down his collarbone, onto his bare chest under his shirt. Her hand tingled as she felt his heart beat beneath the skin touching her fingers. _'His heart. Will's heart. Will!'_ She tore her hand away and slumped onto the stool she'd meant to sit on before she'd been... distracted.

Jack seemed to have read her mind, for he declared, "Back to business!" He took his own seat and propped his feet upon his desk. Elizabeth straightened her hat and crossed one leg over the other. There he was. Her ultimate treasure. Her forbidden fruit. Her everything. And he was out of her reach, behind a wall built up by insincere words spoken on a ship during a storm over two years ago.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Jack and Lizzie. And it SUCKS!

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**Le Mer Appelle, Chapter 2: _You Need Me Less Than I Need You_**

She was just a beautiful as he'd remembered. Maybe _more_ beautiful, if that was possible. And she looked so much like a pirate. A regular she-devil. The Pirate King. Captain of the _Empress_. Wife of the captain of the _Flying Dutchman_. _'Ah, yes, she'd married now, isn't she?'_ Jack reminded himself, _'Well, sort of…'_ He'd forgotten for that briefest –too brief- moment he'd been kissing her.

Elizabeth stared at him with her big brown, curious eyes. He saw her rosy lips curve into a small smile. Her weapons of destruction. The tools of his murder. They, and a pair of shackles. It didn't seem that long ago, until he realized all that had happened since then. The rescue at _World's End_. The meeting of the Brethren. Elizabeth's election as Pirate King. The war with the East India Trading Company and Davy Jones. Her and Will's marriage. Will's death and resurrection.

And then Elizabeth's and Jack's separation. That fateful day, years ago, when she was off to see her new husband; off to spend their one day together. Jack knew he had to say goodbye to her. And he knew it wasn't going to be pleasant.

_ She walked up to him with a strangely serious look on her face, saying, "Jack…" He turned to her with a glum look. She continued, "…it would never have worked out between us." And then she smiled wonderfully. He smirked and told her, "Keep telling yourself that, darling. Then, to his surprise, she went in to kiss him. He held up his hands, stopping her, and lied, "One is quite enough." She stepped back and managed, "Thank you."_

_The crew helped her into her longboat and lowered her down to the water. She took hold of the oars and looked up at Jack one last time with an unreadable expression. He nodded to her, hoping to assure her that everything would be alright. At last, she rowed away. He sighed and mumbled under his breath, "Yes, keep telling yourself that, darling, but you'll think of me."_

"What are you doing out here, anyways?" Elizabeth asked kindly, interrupting Jack's flashback. The question confused him. He blinked and cocked his head as a clue. She elaborated, "This is my sea. My territory-" "Says _who_?" he demanded to know. The sudden change in his attitude seemed to startle her, but if there was anything that annoyed Jack, it was someone claiming the sea… unless it was _him_, of course.  
"Well," she explained, "These were Sao Fang's waters when he was alive and, since I am his successor-"  
"Still can't believe he made _you_ captain. Not just anyone can be a captain."  
And here it came. Lizzie's temper. "What's that supposed to mean? I'm not fit for it?"  
"Maybe _now_ you are, but back then-"  
"May I remind you, Captain Sparrow, who in this room is Pirate King?"  
He could see she was trying to remain clam. "And may I remind _you_, Captain Swann, who _made_ you Pirate King?"  
"You must've thought I was fit to be Pirate King. Why not a pirate _captain_, at least?"  
"That's in the past. Now, I want to know why you say these waters are yours."  
"I just-"  
"And even if they _are_, what are you going to do if I continue to pillage here?"  
She got up off her stool and came over to his desk, with anger burning in her captivating eyes. "These are _my_ waves, Jack. Every storm is mine. Every merchant ship is mine. Every treasure from gold to clothing to silverware is mine-"  
"A little possessive, aren't we, Lizzie Swann?" He grinned.  
"I'd much appreciate it if you didn't forget my proper title. It's _Elizabeth Turner_."  
"_You_ seemed to have forgotten it moments ago when you was sucking on my bottom lip."

Jack counted down to the explosion in his head, _'Three… two… one.'_ Elizabeth cried out, "You are-" "Let me guess… 'despicable'?" he couldn't help but pick the exact words he knew would get to her. It was a guilty pleasure of his.  
"That's it, Jack! Stop doing business in my water, or I'll-"  
"What?" he stood up to meet her height.  
"I'll blow your ship to pieces!"  
"I'd like to see you try."  
"I'm warning you, Jack-"  
"I'm listening, Elizabeth." He flashed her his golden smile.

The Pirate King stood up straight, crossing her arms over her chest. Her lesser who wouldn't admit it did the same, out of pride. "You have three days," the King told him. He asked, "Till what?"  
"You have three days to get out of my waves, or it's war."  
He scoffed. "_War_? Don't make me laugh, love."  
"I'm not joking, Jack. Three days, or I'll run out the cannons and send the _Pearl_ to Davy Jones."  
"Wouldn't it now be 'send the _Pearl_ to _William Turner_'?"  
She let out an irritated breath. "I suppose… "  
"Doesn't exactly have the same ring to it, does it?"

Most likely because she didn't have a clever answer to that question, Elizabeth whirled and stomped to the door of the cabin. She grabbed the knob, trying to leave, but found herself trapped. Jack chuckled, pulling the key to the lock out of his coat pocket. His newly appointed adversary fidgeted impatiently. He took his time walking to her and putting the key in the hole, unlocking it.

Elizabeth met his gaze and shook her head at him. The corner of her mouth twitched, betraying her efforts to hide the smile Jack knew she was desperately trying to stop. For his own amusement, he bent down and put his lips to her ear, whispering, "You can't win' em all, Lizziebeth." She turned their head so that their faces were so close that their noses were touching and said, "No, but I bloody hell can try."  
"Succeeding's the hard part." He kissed the twitching corner of her mouth.  
She looked away. "Please don't ever kiss me again."  
"Aw, come now, love. Don't punish _yourself_ for my wrongdoings."

And that's when he finally got a giggle out of her and the smile peeked out. "It would never work out, Jack." She sighed. He opened the door for her and said, "I know, darling, but you know you wish it would."  
She closed her eyes and shook her head once again. "Three days, Jack. Three."  
"I'll be around, don't you worry, love. I'm not about to give up some of the best business in the sea to my charming murderess."  
She opened her mouth to respond, but stifled nothing, then walked away.

Jack watched Elizabeth leave; counting the steps she took, hoping she would turn around at least one more time so that he could see her perfect face again. But he was not that lucky. Using her grappling hook, she swung back to the _Empress_, where her crew was anxiously waiting for her.

After she was out of view, Jack slid back into his cabin and shut the door once more. Then he remembered something he'd wanted to check ever since Elizabeth had entered his room. He went into his pocket for his compass- the one that pointed to the thing you wanted most in the world. His pocket was empty. He kept feeling around, as if some magic would make it reappear, but no. None of his other pockets contained it either.

Elizabeth had pick-pocketed him. Jack chuckled to himself. His work was done. She was a pirate. His pirate. Well, almost his. He had three days with her until she planned to "blow" his "ship to pieces". That was plenty of time to enjoy her company and bother her. Three days… on second thought, it wasn't enough.

"Three days?!" Pai Huang exclaimed, outraged. Elizabeth repeated, "Three days! They have three days to get out of our territory, and then we can blast the hell out of them." She removed her hat and set it on her desk.  
"Captain, do you have any idea what damage they can do in three days? How many ships they can take before us? How much-"  
"But they _won't_."  
"What makes you so confident?"  
"Because I know Jack," she bent all the way over and ruffled her hair, then stood back up, "and he'll wait for the opportune moment. And, this time, I know when it is."  
"When?"  
"He'll wait until the final day, just to fool with me."  
"What do you propose we do for the next three days?"  
"Careful about your tone, Huang. We'll watch the _Pearl_. Where they go, we'll go. Keep a good eye on them. Concentrate on their every move. If the crew _urinates_, I want to know about it, savvy?"

Elizabeth felt her mouth drop open. She'd just said "savvy", exactly like Jack. She put a hand to her head and groaned. Pai Huang muttered, "Aye, Captain." His tone was as dishonest as it was reluctant. "You're dismissed," his captain and King told him. He bowed and left her alone with the creaking echoes of her cabin. She undid her belt and let it drop to the floor. Kicking her boots off and unfastening some of the top buttons of her blouse, she reached into her pants pocket for her prize.

The compass. She hadn't seen it since Jack had taken it out at _World's End_ so long ago. It had spun around in circles, unable to give him a heading. Thank goodness for that, or he'd have left her, Will, Barbossa, Pintel and Ragetti all in Davy Jones's _Locker_. _'On second thought,'_ she wondered, _'_would_ he have?'_ She liked to hope not. She knew he was a good man. _'No, he wouldn't have.'_

Taking a deep breath, Elizabeth flipped up the lid of the compass and watched the needle spin around, determining what she wanted most in the world. Inside, she was praying it wouldn't point to what she thought it might. The seconds it spun seemed like hours, until it stopped. Left. She walked over to the window on the port side of her cabin and found the faded gray wood of the _Black Pearl_ looking back at her.

"Damn."

Gibbs followed behind his captain, asking, "Three days?" "Aye, three," Jack replied, "but I'm not worried." They stopped at the starboard rail and watched the crew of the _Empress_ move about their ship. The Asian ship was in really great shape, considering the beating it had taken those couple of years ago. "Is Miss Elizabeth playing games with us?" Gibbs asked. His captain shook his head, replying, "No… maybe… good question."  
"Doesn't she know the _Empress_ doesn't stand a chance against the _Pearl_?"  
"That might not be true, Mister Gibbs. You see, that may have been true years ago, but after those years, which would be now, we might think she knows what we know when, in fact, she might not know we know. And there's still a chance that she _knew_ what we think we know, and changed things, which would change what we think we know she knows."  
"So… she _does_ know we know she knows?"  
"Once again, Mister Gibbs, you're not making any sense at all."  
He gave Jack a confused look. "When do we shove off?"  
"Who said we were doing any shoving? We're not going anywhere."  
"But Miss Elizabeth said-"  
"Have I _ever_ cared about what Lizzie's said? Ever?"  
"I don't think so."  
"Then, why would I now?"

At that moment, Jack saw a certain someone looking out her window, right at him. She didn't think he'd spotted her staring at him, he guessed, for she just stood there. He chuckled to himself and waved at her. She jumped and ran out of sight. He laughed. Gibbs inquired, "What's so funny, Cap'n?" "Oh, nothing," Jack replied. Then he got an idea. "Master Gibbs," he said, "why don't you and the crew have a party tonight below deck? Drink rum and play Liar's Dice. Enjoy yourselves."  
"That sounds grand, Cap'n. Will you be joining us?"  
"No. I have some things that have to be dealt wiv." He smiled to himself.

That night, when every member of his crew was below deck, Jack unlocked his secret stash of rum he had hidden in a box under his bed and pulled two bottles out of it. He tucked them in each pocket of his coat and fetched the grappling hook he'd gotten on deck earlier that day. Tiptoeing outside, he checked to see if any of the _Empress_'s crew was on deck. No one. They must have been below deck as well. A coincidence? Maybe. Unless Elizabeth was up to something.

Jack threw the hook part of the grappling hook over to the _Empress_. It caught onto the rail with one swift move. The sneaky pirate tugged on the rope to make sure it was secure. Once he was positive it was, he swung over to the other ship, hitting the hull with a bang. "Bloody bugger," a most likely bruised Jack cursed to himself as he pulled himself up the rope.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **Jack and Lizzie aren't mine, but they are each other's.

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**Le Mer Appelle, Chapter 3: _The Worst Part of You Is Me_**

Elizabeth yawned and stretched, ceasing her singing for a moment. She took off her pants and kicked them aside, then continued her song, "We're rascals, scoundrels, villains and knaves... Drink up me hearties... Yo ho. We're devils and black sheep, really bad eggs... "Another yawn sneaked up on her and she decided to stop. She took off her shirt and threw on a larger one, her usual attire whilst sleeping.

Just as she was about to get in bed, she heard a booming thud coming from outside, making her jump. Not bothering to throw on pants or even a robe, she simply grabbed her pistol from her pile of effects on the floor and dashed out the door. The chilly night air sent a shiver up her bare legs. She searched for the source of the noise she'd heard, but in vain.

Then, suddenly, she heard something over by the port railing. She inched over steadily, readying her pistol. Slowly, she peered over the side of her ship to find a witty pirate captain climbing up to her. "Hello, Jack," she greeted him with a frown. He looked up, seeming embarrassed. "Uh," he stifled, "Ahoy there, Lizzie."  
"If you've come to scrape the barnacles off of the hull, I'll go get you some tools." She started to walk away.  
"No! I haven't!"  
She came back. "Oh, so you're just a trespasser."  
I prefer the term 'pirate'."  
"A trespassing pirate. All I have to do is cut the rope, you know."  
"But you won't."  
"No?" She jiggled the rope a bit.  
"Alright! Maybe you will!" he shouted, nearly falling.

Feeling the wind blow a freezing breath of air on her chest, Elizabeth became aware of what she was wearing and who she was wearing it in front of. Jack seemed to take notice at the same time, for that smirking smile of his spread onto his face as he started to climb up the rope once more. Elizabeth stuck her pistol in her armpit and crossed her arms over her chest.

When Jack's boots hit the deck and he strode towards her, she stepped away. He stopped and, still with that smirk on his face, said, "I see you was expecting me." She managed, "How so?"  
"Well, you're certainly dressed for the occasion."  
"Actually, I was on my way to bed-"  
"So you was expecting me." He pursued her again.  
She still stepped back, towards her cabin. "Very funny. What do you want?"  
"Isn't it obvious?"  
She gasped and held her breath.  
"For God's sake, Elizabeth, calm down! You know me better than that."  
"I-I knew you weren't serious."  
"Tell that to the fear that was just in your eyes."  
She put her hands on her hips, causing her pistol to drop. "I'm not afraid of you."  
"Or shy, apparently." He granted her a devilish smile.

Elizabeth moved her eyes down, seeing her cleavage almost hanging out of her shirt. She covered it with her hand, then picked up her fallen pistol. "What are you here for, then?" she asked. "You mean," he answered with a question that lingered with a small bit of disappointment, "if I'm not here to take advantage of you?"  
"Yes." She found herself backed up against her cabin door now.  
"I'm just here to catch up. Thought we could talk wiv out anyone else, before you supposedly blow me ship to pieces in three days."  
"I suppose it couldn't hurt..."  
"I brought rum." He pulled the two bottles from his coat pockets.  
"Good. And there's more inside, should we need it."  
He looked surprised. "You keep rum in your cabin?"  
"Of course I do. I love rum."  
"Whatever happened to," he imitated her voice terribly, "'It it a vile drink that turns men into scoundrels'?"  
His impression of her made her laugh. "I was young and naive."  
"Thank God you ain't any more."

Jack was still surprised that Elizabeth hadn't changed. Her clothes, that is. As for whom she was, that had changed significantly, but in a good way. He had been listening to everything she'd been saying for the past half an hour, sipping rum and talking. He was shocked to see that that was enough for him. Oh, and perhaps the fact that she wasn't wearing much of anything. That might have helped a little bit.

"After I finally found Pai Huang and the Empress in Singapore," she said, "I started pirating for the first time on my own." Jack broke out of his mystical trance, adding, "Not so easy, is it?"  
"Not at all. How about you?"  
"What about me?"  
"How did you get the Pearl back after Barbossa took it from you again?"  
He smiled nervously. "You know about that, do you?"  
"I'll be honest. I asked around about how you were doing every time I made port. Just to see what you were up to."  
"Checking up on me, were you?"  
She leaned on her knees, making her chair squeak. "I was curious."

Now Jack was positive that she'd forgotten what she was wearing. The large shirt's neckline had opened when she'd leaned, showing more of her than he'd ever seen. The key to the Dead Man's Chest dangled from her neck. He tried to keep his eyes on her face. Elizabeth tapped her fingers on the rum bottle in her hands. She seemed to be waiting for something. 'Oh, right,' he remembered, 'we're talking, aren't' we?' He said with a grin, "Still haven't grown out of your curiosity, have you?"  
"Oh, for God's sake, Jack! Tell me how."  
"Curious, curious, curious. Alright, I'll tell you. The Royal Navy was searching for ol' Hector and, seeing as the cod beast took my vessel, I thought it was only fair for me to help the soldiers. I had one of my crewmen tip off the Navy, giving 'em the whereabouts of the Pearl. After Barbossa and his men were ambushed by the Royals, the poor Pearl was left to rot in the King's harbor. I had no choice but to free her."  
"And Barbossa's crew? Why did you take some back? Pintel, Ragetti-"  
"So Hector could watch me spring his crew from prison, say for him."  
"Interesting..."  
"Any more questions, ever-so-curious Elizabeth?" He scooted his chair forward.

Elizabeth leaned close again, staring into his eyes. Jack looked back into hers, forcing his black irises to focus on her face, rather than other parts of her that were tempting him to peek at. She stifled a small smile and tapped her fingers on her bottle once again. "Two more, actually," she said just loud enough so he could hear her. He thought he'd be daring-he touched foreheads with her. She didn't move. "Alright," he agreed, "but then I have one for you."  
"Fair enough." Her sweet breath made his face tingle.  
"Number one?"  
"Are you drunk?"  
He chuckled. "No."  
"Liar."  
"You should know by now, love, that I'm always drunk."  
"Which is why it males it difficult to trust you."  
"As if you're a very trustworthy person. I don't think so."  
"Touch."  
"Number two?"  
Foreheads still touching, she looked him directly in the eyes and asked, "Was once really enough?"  
"What do you think?"  
"That is not an acceptable answer, Captain Sparrow."  
"Before I truly answer, I want to ask you my question."  
"Very well. What is it?"  
"May I have my compass back?"  
"No."  
"So, I'm going to have to take it from you?"  
"Persuade me."  
He smiled. "One more question, first."  
"Yes?"  
"Are you drunk?"

To his distress, she sat back up and held out her bottle, showing him that it was still half full. He looked at the almost empty one in his hand, then glanced at the one on the desk that was already drained. 'Yes,' he knew, 'she's a little behind and very much not drunk.' "Stand up, Elizabeth," he told her, setting his bottle on the desk to accompany the other. She gave him a questioning look and asked, "Why?"  
"Just do it." He stood up first.  
"Um... alright... "She hesitantly rose, laying her bottle beside both of his.

Simply standing there, waiting with her eyebrows raised without expectancy, she licked her bottom lip. Her hands dangled limply at her sides. Jack took a deep breath, wondering if he should do what he was about to. 'Oh well,' he figured, 'I'll stop if she asks me to.' Placing his hands gently on her shoulders, he pushed her back slowly. She gripped his arms, still appearing confused. He led her until she was against the wall with a window he'd seen her looking out earlier that day.

The moonlight shone through the glass and its glow complimented Elizabeth's skin tone. She didn't look nervous or worried. Perhaps she trusted him, though it was unwise. Jack let go of her shoulders and placed a hand on her waist. Her eyes shifted down to it for a second, then back up to him with an unreadable expression. He moved her hair behind her, exposing the curve of her neck, which he then put his mouth on, kissing it.

She gasped as he did so, and he could feel her muscles lock all over her body. However, not long after, she relaxed. Holding onto him, she leaned against the wall. Jack nibbled a bit of the skin on her neck. He could have sworn he heard her moan. "Jack," she whispered, "what are you doing?" He brought his lips off of her and met her beautiful brown eyes looking back at him. "Persuading you," he replied. A huge wonderful smile spread across her face. "Jack," she laughed, "I was kidding!"  
"I wasn't." He crashed his mouth back onto her neck, then down to her collarbone, kissing her passionately.

Elizabeth started breathing heavily and she barely made out, "Jack... you still haven't answered my question." He paused and spoke under her ear, "I thought this was my answer."  
"I suppose it is, but it's wrong."  
He kissed her ear. "Do you mean 'morally'? 'Cause I know I'm not doing anything wrong."  
"You know what I mean."  
He stepped back. "You mean 'morally'. Quite frankly, love, I don't give a bloody damn. I have no morals. I'm a pirate. And you are, as well. So, don't worry you pretty Pirate Kingly head about it."  
"I'm married, Jack."  
"And?"

Slumping back onto her chair and putting her head in her hand, Elizabeth let out a long sigh. She crossed one leg over the other, which caused the shirt she was wearing to move further up her thigh, tempting Jack severely. She stated, "Will is my husband." He, too, sat back down on his seat. But," he pointed out, the term 'husband' is merely a title like 'captain' or sir'. Therefore, it can be ignored. I know mine is far too often."  
She suppressed a small grin. "It's not that easy."  
"Why must women always complicate things?"  
"We don't. We are just obsessed with facts. We take a situation by the whole and grasp it. Men never see the big picture."  
"Men don't bother wiv all the facts because we only focus on what's important."  
"My marriage is important."  
He couldn't take it anymore! "What marriage, Elizabeth?"  
She blinked. "W-what do you mean? My marriage to Will."  
"You mean the one that was bound by Barbossa?"  
"Yes..." she was obviously clueless.  
"That's interesting. Please enlighten me as to which ship he was captain of, therefore enabling him to be eligible to perform a marr-i-age ceremony."  
She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out.  
"Oh, and I would also like to see your signed marriage pares, if you don't mind."  
Her mouth gaped open.  
"Perhaps a ring to symbolize-"  
"I understand, Jack. I get it. I see what you're saying."  
"Do you?"  
She seemed to bethinking, with tears welling up in her eyes.  
"Elizabeth... you're not... "He couldn't bring himself to finish.

A terrible silence enveloped them in the cabin. The only sound was a barely discernible thumping noise. 'Thumping noise?' Jack stood up and searched for the Dead Man's Chest. The pirate followed the noise to Elizabeth's sleeping quarters and found the Chest on an end table. He picked it up. He hadn't seen it in years, since the maelstrom battle with Davy Jones.

Thump. Thump. Thump. That was it. That's all the Chest was to the untrained eye. To Elizabeth, Jack and some others, it was oh so much more than that. Especially to Elizabeth. This was her treasure. Her job. Her destiny. Her husband... supposed husband. Jack shook his head and put the Chest back on the table.

Footsteps were heard behind him. He turned to find Elizabeth in the doorway, now with pants on and a hand covering her chest. She rubbed her eyes and sniffled-signs that she had been crying. "Jack," she choked, "could you... uh, could you leave? Please. I'll see you tomorrow, I just... "He smiled at her reassuringly and said, "S'alright, love." He'd see her tomorrow. That's all that mattered.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Thanks for all your great reviews! I feel so loved!**_

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**Disclaimer: **Jack and Lizzie are owned by Disney. I am **NOT** Disney.

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**La Mer Appelle, Chapter 4: _See Past the Blood on My Hands_**

Elizabeth placed her hat on her head after picking it up off of the deck of the _Black Pearl_. A slight breeze whispered against her skin as she stepped across the wood floors of Jack's beloved ship. Pirates, familiar and strange, all stared at her as she made her way for Jack's cabin. She'd already prepared herself for this visit. The words she'd speak and the actions she'd make were all planned. This was as prepared as she was going to get. She reached hesitantly for the doorknob, taking a breath before she entered.

Once she was inside the cabin and found her way to Jack's sleeping quarters, all of Elizabeth's plans disappeared into oblivion, all forgotten. For when she saw him laying shirtless on his bed as if he'd simply collapsed onto it, every wall she'd built as barriers for both him and herself crumbled. A slight smile was curved onto his handsome face, causing her to wonder what he was dreaming about. A bottle of rum lay beside him, opened and half full.

As Elizabeth approached his bed, her eyes lingered on the smooth tanned skin of Jack's perfectly sculpted chest. Some sort of words were tattooed on one of his biceps and continued onto his back. If her memory served her correctly, the words were the _Desiderata_ poem. Long ago, she'd read about it after she found out he had it tattooed on himself.

Walking cautiously, Elizabeth tried to make as little noise as possible, so as not to wake Jack, but her efforts were proven useless when she tripped over his boots on the floor and came crashing down, letting out a girlish shriek. "The rum!" Jack exclaimed, suddenly clutching the neck of his bottle. Using the bed as a crutch, Elizabeth pushed herself up.

"What in bloody hell?" the captain of the _Black Pearl_ cursed. Once the Pirate King was standing up again, she straightened her hat and smoothed out the wrinkles of her blouse. "Where do you come off, sneaking up on me like that?" Jack demanded to know. "I wasn't sneaking," Elizabeth argued, desperately trying to keep her eyes on his face, rather than other exposed parts of his body she'd never seen so much of.  
"Well, if you weren't sneaking, please tell me what you'd call quietly entering a captain's sleeping quarters whilst he is sleeping, clearly not intending to wake him."  
"I just wanted to speak with you briefly, alone."  
He slid out of his bed, finishing the remaining rum in his bottle. "And this couldn't wait until I was decent, much less _awake_?"  
"I had no way of knowing if you were decent or awake."

Elizabeth realized then that Jack was scolding her for something she'd scolded Pai Huang about repeatedly. Not only that, but she was making the same excuses he'd used on her before. Jack stood before her, half-naked with an empty bottle of rum in his hand. This was the least dress she'd ever seen him. However, he was much more dressed than she'd been the night before. She blushed at the reminder.

"You know, love," Jack pointed out, "you could've waited until I was out and about on deck." "I can't seem to decipher, Jack," Elizabeth admitted, "whether you're more upset about my waking you or my seeing you while you are indecent."  
"Your waking me was most unpleasant. As for my being indecent, I know that if the scared little governor's daughter I once knew was standing before me and I was dressed like this, she'd be shouting at me for being despicable, wiv her hands over her eyes."  
"That scared little girl is gone now. I doubt anything you could say or do would surprise me."  
"Such a shame, cause that governor's daughter was quite a lot of fun to bother." He chuckled.  
"I'm sorry to disappoint you."  
"Darling, I must confess that it's most difficult to talk to someone who's not looking at your _face_ as they're conversing wiv you."

Elizabeth's gaze shot up from Jack's chest to his eyes in an instant. She'd hadn't even realized she'd been staring. She felt her cheeks grow hot. '_Oh, hell!_' she swore inside, '_that's embarrassing!_' Her heart beat rapidly. The smirk on Jack's face made her subconsciously bat her eyelashes. "Well, excuse me," she stifled, "but it is quite hard to concentrate on the face of the person speaking when that person is flaunting other distracting parts of himself."  
"You're accusing _me_ of flaunting, dear Lizzie? I do believe the pot is calling the kettle black, as of now. Do you recall what you were wearing in front of _me_ last night?"  
'_Damn!_' "I-"  
"Probably not," he interrupted, "because there's not much to remember since you was wearing hardly anything."  
"That shirt is what I use for my nightclothes."  
"And these are mine." He tugged on his breeches.  
"I was supposed to be sleeping-"  
"So was _I_."  
"You are so bloody difficult!"  
"No, I'm simply right, which frustrates you."  
"I'm not going to argue with you about this any longer-"  
"Once again, you're not looking at me."

Her eyes met his once more. Jack's intense gaze bore inside of her. Elizabeth almost cringed beneath his stare. '_I can't believe I did that again!_' Out of the frustration he'd spoken of earlier, she shouted, "For God's sake, put a shirt on!" "That depends," Jack countered, "would it be for _His_ sake or yours?"  
"Just clothe yourself, please!"  
"I don't think I will. I'm enjoying this."  
"You enjoy it when I'm upset?" she almost growled.  
"No, I enjoy it when you're annoyed. You lock your jaw and your nostrils flare. It's shockingly attractive."  
"You-"  
"And your left eyebrow always goes higher than the other." He pointed to said eyebrow.  
"I'm glad _someone_ gets entertainment out of my being distressed."  
"Yes, you are a humorous woman, Lizzie Turner."  
"Oh, so now I _am_ Elizabeth Turner? Because I seem to remember you bringing to my attention last night that I am, in fact, not."

This had hurt her deeply inside. After Jack had left her, she'd spent hours crying until she'd fallen asleep from her exhaustion. When she'd awakened, her sadness turned to anger towards Jack for telling her such awful things. The anger is what possessed her to come aboard the _Pearl_ and confront him.

"I told you the truth," Jack stated, "Whether you choose to accept it or not is your business." Elizabeth clenched her fists and spoke with rage, "You had no right to tell me I wasn't married. It was unnecessary. I was living perfectly fine until you told me that."  
"I suppose this is what I get for being honest."  
"You weren't being honest to do the right thing. You were being honest to justify your kissing me."  
"You're the one who spoke of your supposed marr-i-age as if it were holding you back from reacting normally to my kissing you."  
"And what would a _natural_ reaction be to you kissing me?"  
"Well, the only way to find that out would be for me to kiss you again and see what happens, now that you know you're unmarried." He leaned towards her.

Elizabeth put a hand on his chest, keeping him away. Jack's face stopped less than an inch from hers. Elizabeth felt her hand shake on his skin, which was warm and slightly damp. The surface was rough and dirty, a little coarse, almost. Jack's eyes averted down to Elizabeth's brave hand. "Although Will and I aren't legally married," she explained to him, "_he_ still believes we are, which makes this wrong." Jack let out a sigh and said, "Even if poor Will is in a world beyond this one, he still manages to ruin my life somehow."  
"I just couldn't do that to him." She spotted his shirt on his dresser and draped it on his shoulder.  
"Betray him, you mean."  
"Yes."  
"I suppose then that you only betray _certain_ people."  
"Why do I get the feeling that this conversation has taken a dangerous turn?" She looked at him skeptically.  
"You're not willing to betray Will, but betraying _me_ is nothing important. Is that correct?"  
"I thought that was behind us."  
"You thought wrong."

Jack pulled his shirt off of his shoulder and put it on. Elizabeth felt her heart ache a little. He tossed the empty bottle of rum back onto his bed and walked passed her to his pile of effects on the floor. He began buckling his belts and tying his sashes around his waist.

"You never forgave me, then?" Elizabeth asked, Jack replied bitterly, "You never apologized." He fastened his last belt and found his boots, putting them on.  
"I thought my risking my life to bring you back from the dead _was_ my apology."  
"Again, you thought wrong."  
"Very well... I'm sorry, Jack."  
He said nothing for a moment, then at last spoke, "That's it?"  
"What else do you want from me?"  
"You kiss me, trick me, betray me, murder me, and damn me to _Davy Jone's Locker_... and all you can offer me is a mere 'I'm sorry'?" He exited the sleeping quarters as if he expected nothing more from her.  
She followed. "I rescued you from the _Locker_!"  
"You _put_ me there!"  
"And I fixed it! Now, forgive me and forget it!"  
"Is that an _order_, Your Majesty?" he spat.

Elizabeth stood with her mouth gaped open, waiting for a clever remark to come to her, but in vain. She couldn't believe it, but at that moment she wanted Jack to kiss her so badly. Something about he was speaking and acting triggered her feelings for him. "I don't suppose that even if I _did_ order you to do anything, you'd follow through," she said. "Probably not," he agreed, removing his coat from his coat rack and putting it on.  
"I'll bet I can think of a few orders you'd gladly do."  
"Unlikely." He placed his hat snugly on his head after taking it off of his desk.  
"You want a wager?"  
"Certainly. If you win, I will gladly carry out whatever order it is. If _I_ win, you have to carry out whatever order I give you."  
"Very well." She held out her hand.  
He shook it. "Well?"  
"I order you to kiss me."  
"N-" he started, then ceased.

Hand still in hers, Jack frowned at Elizabeth, pursing his lips. '_Bad idea,_' Elizabeth scorned herself, '_you're so stupid, Elizabeth! After your big speech about Will, you do_ this_? You're no better than any of the wenches in Tortuga!_' Jack stood in front of her, now smiling. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close. Then, in one breath, he stifled, "Gladly."

When his lips came down onto hers, Elizabeth forgot all about Will, whoever _he_ was. She threw her arms around Jack's neck and plastered her body to his. He moved his fingers up her back and buried his hand in her hair, tangling his fingers into it. She did the same to his, playing with the trinkets in his dreadlocks. When he thrust his tongue into her mouth, she didn't refuse, but explored his mouth with her own.

Elizabeth felt Jack push her until she hit the west wall of the cabin, right by the door into the sleeping quarters. They stopped for a breath, but not for long. Jack flipped her hair off of her neck and nipped at her skin. Elizabeth whimpered quietly, then took hold of his face and brought his lips back to hers.

Jack surprised her when he moved his hands down her thigh and hitched her leg upon his hip. Elizabeth felt something rush through her and she started kissing him more urgently. She placed her hand on the opening of his shirt and caressed his skin. Her hat fell to the ground, unnoticed to Jack. Elizabeth didn't know why, but she really wanted to pick it back up.

Ignoring this silly urge, she continued to kiss this pirate who had done so many horrible things to her, not that she was any better. Jack let go of her leg and moved his fingers up to the buttons on her blouse. She knew she should be stopping him, but she couldn't. She wasn't even aware of what was going to happen. Each moment passed, one at a time.

"Cap'n!" Gibbs called, opening the door, most likely not at all expecting what he was about to see. Elizabeth pried her lips from Jack's mouth and turned her head to find his startled first mate standing in the doorway, face as red as a tomato. She practically jumped off of Jack, who leaned against the wall now with a giddy smile on his face. Elizabeth buttoned up her blouse and fetched her hat, returning it to her head.

Gibbs stood in silence, mouth hanging open, eyes blinking in astonishment. "I-I," he stuttered, "j-just wanted to report that..." He took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Cap'n," he apologized, "but I seem to have forgotten." Elizabeth noticed then that she was holding her breath. She let out air and moved her eyes to Jack, who stood there with the same smile on his face. His first mate wriggled nervously in place and suggested, "I think I'll go now." "_Please_," Jack encouraged him. Gibbs turned and left.

Elizabeth ran to the door, but Jack blocked the exit with his body. "Where the hell are you going?" he asked. She replied, out of breath, "Away. You've got two days now. You still have to leave. This doesn't change anything." Even as she pushed him out of the way and finally left the cabin, she knew in her heart that that was a lie. This changed _everything_.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Thanks for the reviews! A reader brought to my attention that Elizabeth's first mate's name is, in fact, Tai Huang and not Pai Huang. I checked to discover that she was right. My bad! So, I changed it. I promise I'll go back and change the previous chapters as soon as I have time. :)**_

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**Disclaimer: **Jack is own by Disney. Elizabeth is own by Disney. Sparrabeth is owned by the Sparrabethers.

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**La Mer Appelle, Chapter 5: _You're So Contagious_**

"And then he just kissed me right then!" Elizabeth exclaimed in frustration, although on the inside, she was screaming with happiness. Tai Huang let out a long sigh, probably out of boredom. His captain had been laying on her sofa for the past half an hour talking about her latest encounter with Captain Jack Sparrow. With an arm over her eyes, Elizabeth couldn't see his face, but she knew Tai Huang was most likely rolling his eyes at her. "Captain," he said, "you just said that you _told_ him to."  
"That's beside the point!" She removed her arm from her eyes and sat up.  
"Captain-"  
"I'm married! Well... sort of... he should have refused!"  
"Why would Captain Sparrow let a moment to kiss the Pirate King pass by?"

_"I love those moments. I like to wave at them as they pass by."_ Elizabeth grinned to herself at that memory of when Jack had spoken those words. "You're absolutely right, Tai Huang," she stated. He chimed, "Good. Now can we-"  
"But I wouldn't have even gone over there and gotten so confused, had he not told me that I wasn't married to Will. Thus, this is all _his_ fault!"  
"Yes, Captain."  
"And I should ignore him because he wants me to react!"  
"Yes, Captain."  
"He said himself that it's entertaining to him when I get upset..."  
"Yes, Captain."  
"Oh, for God's sake, Tai Huang! Is that all you know how to say?"  
"No, Captain." He frowned.  
"Then tell me what you're thinking!"  
"Very well. I think you like Captain Sparrow."  
"Of course I like him. He's an old fried-"  
"_More_ than that, Captain."  
She gasped. "You mean 'love'?"  
He only nodded.  
"That's utterly absurd! Leave my sight before I throw you in the brig!"

Elizabeth's first mate huffed and turned to exit. Before he left, she heard him mumble, "So much for being your friend." She gritted her teeth and kicked the door once he'd shut it. _'He doesn't know what he's talking about!'_ she told herself, _'I don't love Jack... I love Will... right?'_ No. Not in the way Tai Huang was insinuating she felt about Jack. She loved Will as a dear friend. A brother, even.

With Will, she felt safe. She felt secure. She had a confidante... sometimes. There were some burdens she just couldn't let him bear. _"But I did bear it, didn't I? I just didn't know what it was. I thought..."_ He'd thought she loved Jack. Was he right and she had just been unaware of it? It was silly of him to think that just because she'd kissed Jack that she loved him. Nevertheless, was he still correct?

With Jack, she felt warm and passionate. Feverish. Feelings of ecstasy and bliss lingered whenever she was near him. With him, she could see herself doing things she'd never dream of doing to Will. Jack was an irresistible, charming flirt who made her knees weak. When she was close to him, she felt free. _"You long for freedom. You long to do what you want to do because you want it. To act on selfish impulse. You want to see what it's like. One day, you won't be able to resist."_

"And then she said," Jack did a terrible impersonation of Elizabeth, with a high, squeaky voice, "'You had no right to tell me I wasn't married'!" Gibbs chuckled and asked, "What did _you_ say?"  
"I told her to go to Hell."  
"Really?" he asked as if he didn't believe him.  
"... no. I said that I suppose that's what I get for being honest."  
"And what did _she_ say?"  
"I don't bloody know! I didn't memorize our whole conversation!"  
"I'm only trying to figure out how she ended up with a leg around you and an unbottoned blouse."  
"Master Gibbs! That is none of your business!"  
"Jack, be serious. Try to understand me. You've been talking about you two bickering and yet when I walked in, yer mouths were too busy doing something _else_, leaving no time fer talking."  
"How would you like to lose your rum privileges?"

That got him to shut up. Gibbs closed his lips tight and marched off, leaving Jack alone with Cotton and his parrot at the helm. In spite of the fact that he couldn't respond, the captain asked the mute, "What do you think?" Cotton shrugged. His parrot squawked, "Weigh anchor!"  
"No, I don't want to leave just yet. I've got two more days wiv Elizabeth to enjoy her as much as I want."  
"Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!" the bird sang.  
"I could go for one myself. How 'bout you?"

Cotton smiled and raised his hand. Jack pursed his lips and made clear, "I was talking to the parrot." The silent pirate's grin faded and his hand returned to the helm. His captain left him and headed below deck, to the rum cellar. However, when he got there, he was appalled to find the rum gone. Bottles and all.

When Jack stormed into Elizabeth's sleeping quarters, she was much less than pleased to find him there. There were two reasons for her feelings of anger and annoyance towards him. One, she had been in the middle of a peaceful afternoon nap in bed when he had awakened her. Two, he'd invited himself in at a terrible time. This time being a time where she wasn't wearing an clothes, besides her necklace what held the _Key_.

Elizabeth screamed and pulled her sheet quickly over her chest. She knew how upset he was by both the look on his face and the fact that her cabin door had been locked. He'd obviously used great force to bust it open. Jack's furious face turned into a slightly happy one for a moment before he shouted, "Alright, where is it?" She ducked under her covers until all he was able to see was her neck up.

"Get out!" Elizabeth yelled, waving him off. Jack ignored her, stepping closer. "Where is it?" he repeated. She sat up, clinging the sheet to her. She'd never seen him so angry before. Not even when they'd been stranded on that island all those years ago.  
"Where is _what_?"  
"Don't pretend like you don't know!"  
"I'm not pretending! I have no idea what you're bloody talking about!" _'His compass?'_  
"Why is the rum gone?!"

_"You've burned all the food! The shade! The_ rum_! Why is the rum gone?!"_ Ah, yes. That day she'd burned it all. Elizabeth had taken his rum that time. Now, she was extremely confused. She hadn't so much as _looked_ at his rum. Jack seemed to be seething with anger. "Jack," she said truthfully, "I did not take your rum and I don't know who did." "Liar!" he declared.  
"Am _not_!"  
"I'll bet you took it all from the cellar, then came to my room this morning to see if there was any in there!"  
"That's ridiculous!"  
"Elizabeth, if you don't tell me where my rum is, I'll fire on the _Empress_!"  
"And I'll fire _back_!"

The now perturbed captain of said _Empress_ ship slid out of her bed, wrapping her sheet around her body. For a moment, Jack seemed to have forgotten his anger, for he said with pride, "I have _excellent_ timing." Elizabeth clutched the sheet to herself and walked over to him, accusing, "You planned this, didn't you?"  
"How could I know you weren't dressed? I just want to know where my rum is!"  
"Well, I don't know where your bloody rum is! Now, if you would be so kind as to leave, I would much appreciate it!" She put a hand on his chest and started pushing him towards the door.  
"Not so fast, love! I'm giving myself permission to check your cabin."  
"You can't just rummage through my personal belongings!"  
"Watch me."

Jack moved past Elizabeth and went to her dresser. He opened the top drawer and lifted her clothes. He picked up a pair of pants and felt something in a pocket. He reached in and pulled out his compass. "I believe this is mine," he stated, putting it in his own pocket and moving down the drawers. _'The bottom drawer!'_ Elizabeth remembered. She picked up her pistol off of an end table and aimed it at Jack, who was crouching, one drawer away from the bottom. "Stop!" she warned him, the sheet barely hanging on her. He faced her and his expression changed to unamused.  
He smiled. "Are you going to shoot me, Lizzie?"  
"Stop looking through my things."  
"Or what?"  
"Isn't it obvious?"  
"You won't shoot me."  
"I killed you once, I'll do it again."  
"No, you won't. You'd feel too guilty."

Elizabeth approached Jack and pressed the barrel of the gun to his temple. He stood up slowly with his hands up in an unenthusiastic surrender. "Step away from my dresser," she ordered. "Yes ma'am," her hostage agreed with sarcasm. He left the sleeping quarters of Elizabeth's cabin with her following him, the pistol now in his back.

Jack turned around and put his arms down. Elizabeth threw her weapon on her desk and secure the sheet to her body tighter. "Jack," she said as calmly as she could manage, "I'm going to ask my crew if they know where your rum could possibly be." "Thank you," he grumbled.  
"You're welcome. Now, will you please wait outside and not kill anyone and let me get dressed?"  
"I don't think I can let you get dressed, but I promise not to kill anyone." He smiled seductively.  
She felt herself blush. "Jack..."  
"Alright, alright."

Once Jack had left, Elizabeth dashed for the bottom drawer of her dresser and began emptying it immediately.

They walked down the steps to the deck below. Smoke instantly filled Jack's nostrils. Some men were smoking cigarettes and others were drinking rum. One group sat around a table, playing a game of cards, one was playing Liar's Dice, and another was playing some sort of game with stones. When Elizabeth's presence became known all around the room, all the men got up and stood at attention, silent.

Respect had obviously been something Elizabeth had earned whilst being captain of the _Empress_. Jack was very impressed. "Gentlemen," she announced, "something has come to my attention that I could very well be displeased about, should it be true." With her hands behind her back, she moved about the room, staring all of them down. "I have been told by Captain Sparrow," she continued, "that all of the rum that was on his vessel last night has disappeared. Anyone have any ideas as to where it might be?" No one spoke up. "That so?" she asked, then added, "I suppose that I should mention that the first person who tells me where Captain Sparrow's rum is gets the jade dragon we pillaged from China last winter-" "We took it!" a crewman shouted, shooting up.

The rest of the men in the room groaned and started throwing food and empty bottles at the brave pirate. "Quiet, you insufferable wretches!" Elizabeth ordered, then asked, "Master Chiang, where is the rum?" Chiang replied, "It's in the cargo hold, behind the crates of meat."  
"Thank you. You maybe seated."  
He sat.  
"Now, since I don't know which specific pathetic individuals took part in this childish act of thievery, I must punish everyone. Captain Sparrow will get every drop of rum back that you stole, plus half of our own. "

As the crew began shouting in disapproval, Elizabeth grabbed Jack's hand and lead him back to the upper deck. "I think you upset them, love," he teased. She smiled and stated, "They'll be better by tomorrow. And, if you should choose not to leave in two days, they'll get to enjoy destroying the _Pearl_, which would make them exceedingly euphoric."  
He chuckled. "I must admit, love, seeing you be all captain-like and Pirate Kingly was very..."  
She waited for an answer.  
"Very attractive."  
He saw her turn beet red before she said, "You're impossible."

Jack brought their intertwined fingers to his mouth and kissed her hand. Elizabeth pulled her hand from his and spun to return to her cabin, not looking back. Jack didn't know what exactly he was feeling at that moment, but it felt really good.


End file.
